JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A Southside woman claims a package with medication valued at $20,000 was stolen from her porch, and a neighborhood app could help police find the suspect.
It started with a notification.
“I received a Ring notification around 6 a.m. that someone was at my door," said Elizabeth E., who did not want to give her last name.
Elizabeth’s Ring camera captured video showing two men, one in a gray hoodie, walking up to the door and grabbing the package, while the other stands in the background.
Inside was thousands of dollars’ worth of mediation.
“The retail price on the medication was around $20,000, so it was important to me that I received the prescription," Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth said she filed a police report and posted the video to Nextdoor, a neighborhood app. The post received more than 100 comments, with other neighbors reporting similar experiences, some claiming they have seen the men in the area.
Neighbors who claim to know the men gave Elizabeth names, which she has given to investigators.
"They were just walking around aimless looking for packages that had not been picked up," Elizabeth said.
Last year, an estimated 210 packages were stolen from porches across America, according to a safewise.com survey. Tips to protect deliveries include using a package pickup location, signing up for alerts, getting a friend to check for deliveries or requiring a signature.
Elizabeth has now switched her delivery to signature-required, and she alerts her neighbors anytime she see a package that has been delivered.
“If you get information, share it. The apps are super helpful. The Ring app is helpful, Nextdoor app, I mean people are very responsive on both of those. I’m very impressed that so many people commented and helped me out," Elizabeth said.
Elizabeth is working with her insurance to replace the medication and with detectives to move forward.